A POPULAR music and wedding venue in Cornwall has had its premises licence revoked, meaning it will no longer be able to sell alcohol or stage concerts.

A Cornwall Council licensing sub-committee made the decision on Wednesday (January 28) following a request from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service that unique underground venue Carnglaze Caverns’ licence be removed due to safety concerns.

The sub-committee made the decision despite hearing from the son of the caverns’ owners that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regularly inspects the venue which has met all the safety goals set down by the HSE.

The Rum Store at Carnglaze Caverns, which is based at St Neot, near Liskeard, has been run as a venue for over two decades and has one of the longest wedding aisles in Cornwall.

The tourist attraction was formerly a slate mine and now holds gigs and events in one of its rocky caverns. The venue was due to stage concerts by well-known bands Wille and the Bandits and 3 Daft Monkeys later this year.

Matt Worthington, of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, told the meeting that the fire service believed that the licensed activities at Carnglaze pose a “significant risk” to public safety.

He raised three areas of concern:

* travel distance for evacuation from the stage and seating area

* the absence of an adequate fire warning and detection system

* that escape routes are insufficient and the available exit capacity is inappropriate for the occupancy of 450 people.

Mr Worthington added: “Although the premises appears to have two exits, they are not adequately separated, meaning a single fire could render both exits unusable.”

He said a capacity of 60 people would be more appropriate.

“Undoubtedly having a more robust alarm system would definitely help, but it would need to come with a lot more fire precautions in place as well,” added the fire safety officer.

Mr Worthington said the fire service had discussions with the HSE about which body has jurisdiction over the venue’s licence as it is classed as a mine used for leisure activities.

The fire officer said: “Ultimately our representation today is as a responsible authority. It’s fair to say the Fire Safety Order has mines as an exemption, but it is not exempt in the circumstances it is being used currently.”

He added that the issue in the case of Carnglaze Caverns is that it is a licensed premises.

The meeting was then addressed by Charlie Perkins on behalf of his parents, Lisa and Tony Perkins, who own the attraction.

Mr Perkins put the venue’s case, saying it has operated for 23 years and for each of those years it has been inspected by the HSE.

“According to an email I received yesterday, they still consider themselves our licensing body and the people in charge of our health and safety.

“The last we heard from Cornwall Fire and Rescue, they thanked us sincerely for all of our information, they said the HSE had confirmed they are the appropriate enforcing authority for the site and they said Cornwall Fire and Rescue will not be taking any further action in relation to the extended travel distance towards the fire exits.

“That’s the last we heard from them before this issue was raised, so it came sort of out of nowhere.”

Mr Perkins said he had seen comment from the fire service that the HSE had not taken any further action which is why it raised its concerns.

“HSE is all over us – don’t worry about that. We are in constant discussion with them. They are a goal-orientated health and safety organisation – we have matched all those goals.”

He said the HSE carried out yearly checks and is visiting Carnglaze again next month, with the head of the authority, to inspect the site. He added the HSE carries out smoke and fire simulations, undertakes thorough ventilation tests and carries out safety scans of the site.

“We’re doing lots of additional things to make sure we are providing a good and safe experience for everyone who comes here. Our doors are wide enough according to regulations to allow 450 people to exit.

“I understand your concerns that the two exits are parallel to each other, but they are in separate caverns and at separate heights. If the issue is smoke – which in a place made mostly out of rock and water the issue is going to be smoke inhalation rather than actual spread of fire – it is very unlikely that the top cavern and the lower cavern will both fill with smoke at the same time.

“The only things that can catch fire down there are minimal – if any electricity sparks, the entire electricity system shuts down. Everything down there is mostly rocks, including the bar which is made of rocks.”

Mr Perkins told the committee that the top of the stage was made out of plywood so was flammable. “It’s probably more water than plywood. If anyone has been to the Caverns you’ve likely got a drip down the back of your neck because it is constant dripping from the ceiling – that’s why we have those underground lakes.”

Sub-committee member Cllr John Martin said: “We are in a quandary because of the advice from the fire service – we have to go through this with a fine toothcomb.”

He wanted verification that the HSE is “completely supportive” of Carnglaze Caverns’ premises licence. Mr Perkins said it was completely supportive of the infrastructure and safety mitigations in place at the venue, which included a new fire escape which was built by the previous owners on instruction from the HSE.

“We do 3D scans every year – we take health and safety very seriously. We have school concerts and we want them to be nice and safe and happy.”

Mr Perkins was asked if Carnglaze Caverns would be able to operate if restricted to a capacity of 60 people.

“No, we would not. We would not be able to stage concerts. Concerts for 400 people don’t make us a huge amount of money. Fifty per cent of grassroots venues last year did not report a profit.

“We are keeping our head above water at the current levels but reducing down to 60 people wouldn’t be tenable for us. We still need to keep these numbers as they are if we want to keep going.”

After the councillors deliberated in private, it was announced they had agreed to revoke the licence.

Cornwall Council solicitor Mark Andrews said: “The licensing sub-committee felt that the evidence showed on balance that the issues raised by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service were reasonable and proportionate.

“In reaching the decision to revoke the licence, the sub-committee considered all options available to them. Members considered whether there are any additional conditions that could be attached to the licence.

“However, members felt, taking all the information and evidence into account, on balance the evidence showed that the revocation of a premises licence was reasonable, necessary and proportionate in order to promote the public safety licensing objectives.”

The owners of the Carnglaze Caverns now have the right to appeal.